What do I want?

What would life be it does not contain any ironies? Hmm...I really wonder. Anyhow, I just completed 1 week of observational placement at the Repatriation General Hospital - a hospital for veterans (people who fought during WW2). It was a great experience, being exposed to the aussie culture and thinking and comparing how very much different things would be in Singapore.

Anyway, I'm due to fly back to Singapore for good on 8th May. I don't know what I want to do when I graduate. Take the first job offer that lands on my lap? Community nutritionist or clinical dietitian? I know, I've always loved being a renal dietitian but when I started work with the Youth Health Division at HPB, I thought I would love being a nutritionist. I mean, HPB does have good work-life balance as compared to working in a hospital setting. But yet, if I start out being a nutritionist and not a dietitian, it will be hard to be a clinical dietitian if I started out as a nutritionist.

Oh Lord, I am confused. Please lead me onto the path that You have planned for me. I want to commit my placements into Your hands and ask for wisdom and guidance that You will help me use the right words at the right time and that I will be able to complete this year successfully. I pray that You will bless all dear to me. In Christ name, Amen.

Wine & Dine

A group of crazy friends + Wine + Aussie & German foods = GREAT time + Lots of calories

Ok, together with a group of my coursemates, we drove up to Barossa valley for fine wine tasting and Handorf for fine german cuisine. Praise the Lord for the fine weather! We visited 5 wineries out of 59 that are located within Barossa valley and a quick stop at the whispering wall before driving quickly to Handorf before the sun sets at about 5.30pm.

All in all, it was a GREAT day of "drunkness", FUN, lots of photo-taking, drinking, eating and LAUGHING!

Enjoy the pics!

Queuing for some wine tasting!

2 very drunk girls without Acetadehyde Dehyrogenase

"I love eating a mouthful of calories!"

Learning to soar like an eagle

At Chateau Yaldara

From harvest...


To bottling...

To a HAPPY customer!

The whispering wall..

Good-bye Intensive

YES!! At 1430hrs on 19th April 2007 (Thursday), I bade farewell to the month of intensive period that I was made to go through. During the last 2 weeks of the Foodservice intensive, it was crazy! Most of my free time was spent in the library with group members trying to finish up as much of the group assignment. I'm glad that its over but yet I don't feel that I am ready to return to Singapore for my placements. Anyway, I took the opportunity to do alittle bit of travelling with whatever time I'm left with and kudos to my coursemates for organising a BBQ for a final time since us Singaporeans may not have the opportunity to return to Adelaide for a time of lessons again.

Enough said, enjoy the pics.


What a spread!

What's an Aussie barbie without the sausages and..

Onions??!!!

A time of eating and catching up!

United as INTERNATIONALS!

Singaporeans - May our friendship continue to grow & blossom (R-L: Phoebe, Me, Lilian, Liyan)

Through thick & thin

Witnessed tyre changing

"How many N&D female students does it take to change a flat tyre?" Well, 7 were present but 5 helped to changed a flat tyre. And, nope, I wasn't the one that helped out instead, I stood on the side to observe. Seriously, I have never, ever in my life witness someone changing a flat tyre. I mean, you see it on television but in real life, NO!

Anyway, it was quite funny when my group was walking out of the Elderly Citizens Home after our site visit and saw that another 2 of our classmates had trouble with the car. We walked closer and we noticed that Naomi's car had a flat. So, Dearne helped Naomi take out the spare tyre while my group (Lily, Danielle, Jiun, Christie and I) tried to give them a hand. As Danielle had experience with changing a car tyre, she got to work quickly with Lily assisting her. Jiun lend a helping hand by pivoting the "thingy" to lift up the car.

At the end of it all, Naomi looked like a car mechanic as she had oil and grease on her hands and abit on her face. But, I can say that yes, it took 5 N&D female students to change a car tyre and no one helped us. I seriously wonder, whether the boys (2 of them) in my class would know what to do with a flat tyre.

Intensive Foodservice is driving me crazy!

My apologies for not being able to update for my blog for awhile. I have been busy ever since my course has embarked on the Management and Foodservice topic. Its crazy, trying to cover most of Foodservice theory in 2 weeks. Back when I was reading my diploma, about 2 semesters were spent covering this area. What's more, there's more to foodservice besides foodservice-HACCP system etc. I'm not trying to say that I know all there is to foodservice but I'm glad that when I was reading my diploma, TP taught us well. (:

Anyway, as the saying goes," All work and no play makes Joanna a very dull girl." So, during the long easter weekend which technically started on Thursday evening till Monday morning, the international students from my course plus a few others, organised a BBQ for us to relax and enjoy the unusual autumn-y weather. Being international students coming from Malaysia and Singapore with a couple from China, 1 from Hong Kong and 1 from Sri Lanka, of course, our barbie was the Singapore-Malaysia way.

So, food preparation started as early as 12nn and when we arrived at Lilian's house, the head chef was already busy at work. The preparation was about done at about close to 3pm. That is when we finally head out to Brighton Beach in 3 cars and lots of food in toll. I had a GREAT time at Brighton beach, being able to relive my childhood while playing at the playground after splashing about in the sea and of course, all the eating! We had so much food leftover that we had to pack it home for next day's lunch.

Anyway, enjoy the pics!


2 pretty ladies from China - Zhixian & Shan Shan


Skewing the satays


Supervision from the Head Chef - Hui Yu


What's N&D without food pics!


Catching up with each other - Upuli, Lilian, Me!


Lovely drawing from Jiun - Protecting the environment by labelling our plates!


Trooping down the beach after a hearty meal.


Testing out the water.Brrr!


As Lilian puts it: We eat, go to school, sit, sleep in the same room together except bathe together!


My Malaysians counterpart - right to left: Jiun, Pao Ee, Hui Yu


Before the sun sets


Group picture!

2 fire alarms is enough to keep one awake

The fire alarm screamed it loudest wail, "RRRIIINNNGGG!!!", in an attempt to wake all residents up. Indeed it did! It jolted me awake from my deep slumber after a tiring day of food preparation and play at the beach.

There was a scramble for jacket to keep myself warm as we had to wait for the fire trucks to arrive and turn off the screaming fire alarm. As each resident evacuated out of Uni Hall residence, people's eyelids attempted to stay open and watch as they headed down the long flight of stairs.

At the evacuation site, Hallies with droopy eyelids, messy out-of-bed hair, talked and whinged about what was going on. After the firemen declared that the building was safe to return, each Hallie returned to their room praying that it would be the last.

However, it was not to be. This morning, with the first one at 2 mins to 1am and the second one at 4am, we all trooped down with signs of frustation and pleading faces for the need of some sweet slumber. This time round, the fire trucks arrived faster than usual and before we know it, we were allowed back to our room, hopefully the fire alarm would NOT wail again. Indeed it kept word to its promise.

The cause of the 2 fire alarms: malfunction of the smoke detectors that tripped off the fire alarm both in the 31 (which happens to be my area) and 34 corridor. This spells bad news as it means that no one is allowed to use the stove until the smoke detectors have been declared on. What alot of hassle!

Cheap thrill

Received a parcel from Singapore yesterday (4th April, Thu). As promised by Sophie, she would send over my threadless tee once she received the order. Cheap thrill as Soph would call it. I thought I would not be able to receive the parcel whilst I'm here in Adelaide as I was told of the bad news each time I see Soph online. Needless to say, I was SURPRISED when I was given a parcel from the front office. And to finish the excitement, I tore open the envelope there and then at the office while trying to top up my internet credit. Thanks Soph!

Here's a little pic of the threadless tee that I ordered during the cheap $10 sale.


The Guy and Girl version


Front view Back view

Intensive week

Its been more than a week since I left Singapore and arrived in Adelaide. Life has been good for me so far, enjoying every bit of privacy back at the flat, enjoying good food, friends company and basically being back at school.

Its really ironic when I start thinking of it. When I'm working, I wish I was in school. When I'm in school, I wish I was working. Oh well, its one of life's little ironies. Anyway, I'm not complaining and am glad that the 6-day research intensive is about to end with a presentation. School's going to get busier once we start with Foodservice topic. Classes from 9-5. Its as if I'm at work only that I get to tune out if the lecture is boring. Oops! Anyway, take care and till I update again!